Eugene McCarthy (1916-2005)

Eugene McCarthy has died. This is a sadness but his memory should not be forgotten. Gene McCarthy vitalized and vocalized the anti-War movement of 1967-68. He entered the Democratic primaries in opposition to Lyndon Johnson. I slogged through the snows of New Hampshire
along with thousands of others in February, 1968.

On November 30, 1967, he announced that he would run against President Lyndon Johnson for the nomination of the Democratic Party. Although the press and polls were skeptical that McCarthy's candidacy could effectively contest Johnson's war policy, young people in particular flocked to his banner. Thousands left school and work to sleep on floors while walking the streets and phoning the voters for primaries throughout the Spring.
After McCarthy won 42 percent of the vote in the Demoratic primary (in New Hampshire), the contest changed. On March 31, 1968, President Johnson announced that he would not run for re-election. Two days later, LBJ received only 35 percent of the votes in the Wisconsin primary, to McCarthy's 56 percent.

These events changed the dynamic of politics. Bobby Kennedy was viable candidate. He was assassinated. Hubert Humphrey was nominated but, in a fatal twist of History, beaten by Richard Nixon.
Richard Nixon went on to prosecute the War in Vietnam including bombing of Hanoi and invasions of Cambodia and Laos. Then we lost.

Sound familiar?